The present invention relates generally to a digital ramp phase type optical interference gyro of the type wherein two beams of light are caused to propagate through a looped optical path clockwise and counterclockwise and an input angular rate or velocity applied to the looped optical path around its axis is detected from the step size or frequency of a ramp signal of a step phase which cancels the phase difference between the both light beams which is caused in accordance with the applied input angular rate or velocity. More particularly, the invention relates to a part which controls the ramp signal so that the step phase is an integral multiple of 2.pi. immediately prior to its flyback.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional optical interference gyro of this kind. Light emitted from a light source 11 is provided via an optical coupler or beam splitter 12 and a polarizer 13 to an optical coupler 14, from which two light beams are provided as clockwise and counterclockwise light beams to a looped optical path 15. The looped optical path 15 is usually formed by an optical fiber coil. Inserted between both ends of the looped optical path 15 and the optical coupler 14 are phase modulators 16 and 17. While the optical coupler 14 and the phase modulators 16 and 17 are shown to be formed as a single optical IC, they may also be provided individually as an optical coupler and optical phase modulators.
A bias signal generator 18 generates a square-wave bias modulation signal of a 50% duty, which is applied to the phase modulator 16 to drive it, modulating the phases of the clockwise and counterclockwise light beams (hereinafter referred to as CW and CCW light beams) which pass through the phase modulator 16. The cycle or period of the bias modulation signal is twice as long as the time .tau. for the propagation of light through the looped optical path 15 and each light beam is phase shifted alternately .pi./4 rad on the positive side and .pi./4 rad on the negative side at time intervals of .tau.. The clockwise and counterclockwise light beams having propagated through the looped optical path 15 interfere with each other in the optical coupler 14. The resulting interference light is provided via the polarizer 13 and the optical coupler 12 to a photodetector 19, wherein it is converted into an electric signal corresponding to the light intensity.
Supplied with a clock signal CK1 of a 2.tau. period from a clock generator 21, the bias signal generator 18 produces the above-mentioned bias modulation signal. A clock signal CK2 of a period .tau. is applied from the clock generator 21 to an A-D converter 22 to control it to convert the output from the photodetector 19 into a digital signal in synchronization with biasing by the bias modulation signal. The digital signal is applied to a synchronous detector 23, wherein it is synchronously detected by the clock signal CK1 of a 2.tau. period from the clock generator 21. The synchronously detected output is fed to a step value generator 24, by which a step value corresponding to the height of one step of a stepped ramp signal is produced. The step value thus generated is provided to an adder 25, wherein it is added to the output from a latch circuit 26. The added output is then latched in the latch circuit 26 by the clock signal CK2 of a period .tau. from the clock generator 21 in synchronization with the bias modulation signal. The adder 25 and the latch circuit 26 constitute an accumulating part 27.
The accumulated output from the accumulating part 27 is converted by a D-A converter 28 into an analog signal, which is applied, as a feedback modulation signal, to the phase modulator 17 via a variable gain amplifier 29. The feedback modulation signal acts to cancel the phase difference between the CW and CCW light beams which is caused by the angular rate applied to the looped optical path 15 around its axis. A-bias modulation signal V.sub.B, such as shown in FIG. 2, Row A, is produced by the bias signal generator 18, and in the optical coupler 14, when the input angular rate is zero, the phase of the CW light beam alternates between +.pi./4 rad and -.pi./4 rad at time intervals of .tau. as indicated by the solid line in FIG. 2, now B, whereas the phase of the CCW light beam alternates between +.pi./4 rad and -.pi./4 rad at time intervals of r as indicated by the broken line in FIG. 2, Row B. As a result, the phase difference between the both light beams alternates between +.pi./2 rad and -.pi./2 rad at time intervals of .tau..
When angular rate is applied, the step value generator 24 yields a step value which has a polarity corresponding to the direction of the input angular rate and corresponds to the phase difference between the CW and CCW light beams corresponding to the magnitude of the input angular rate. Such a step value is accumulated every period .tau., and consequently, in the optical coupler 14 the phase of the CW light beam varies in the form of such a stepped ramp waveform as indicated by the full line in FIG. 2, Row C, whereas the phase of the CCW light beams varies as a stepped ramp waveform delayed behind the CW light beam by .tau. as indicated by the broken line. Hence, the polarity and magnitude of the phase difference between the CW and CCW light beams vary with the input angular rate as shown in FIG. 2, Row D.
The gain of the variable gain amplifier 29 is initiated such that in the case where the phase difference .DELTA..phi. between the CW and CCW light beams caused by the input angular rate could have been cancelled or offset by the feedback modulation signal, when the adder 25 overflows, the above-mentioned phase difference becomes an integral multiple of 2.pi. rad and the output from the synchronous detector 23 remains zero as indicated by the solid line in FIG. 2, Row E.
The direction and magnitude of the input angular rate can be detected from the polarity and magnitude of the output step value of the step value generator 24 or the polarity and repetition frequency of the output stepped ramp waveform from the accumulating part 27.
There are cases where when the adder 25 is about to overflow, that is, when the stepped ramp waveform is on the verge of flyback, the phase difference .DELTA..phi. between the CW and CCW light beams shifts from an integral multiple of 2.pi. rad due to an ambient temperature change or ageing and the output from the synchronous detector 23 does not become zero as indicated by the broken line in FIG. 2, Row E, for instance--this is equivalent to a state in which the feedback modulation signal is not in equilibrium with the input angular rate, and hence measurement errors are induced.
To avoid this, it is a general practice in the prior art to adopt a circuit arrangement in which the output from the synchronous detector 23 at the time of an overflow of the adder 25 is taken out by a latch circuit 31, its output is integrated by an integrating filter 32 to obtain a correcting signal, the correcting signal thus obtained is subtracted by a subtractor 34 with respect to a reference value Vr from a reference value generator 33, the added output is converted by a D-A converter 35 into an analog signal, and the analog signal is used to control the gain of the variable gain amplifier 29. In the initial state the output from the integrating filter 32 is zero and the gain of the variable gain amplifier 29, which is based on the reference value Vr, is preadjusted so that the output from the synchronous detector 23, shown in FIG. 2, Row E, is zero. For example, in the case where the output of the synchronous detector 23 depicted in FIG. 2, Row R is shifted from zero owing to a decrease in the sensitivity of the phase modulator 17, the gain of the variable gain amplifier 29 is raised to compensate for the decrease in the sensitivity of the phase modulator 17.
As described above, according to the conventional optical interference gyro, when the phase difference between the CW and CCW light beams-shift from an integral multiple of 2.pi. rad immediately prior to flyback of the stepped ramp waveform, it is necessary to convert the output from the subtractor 34 by the D-A converter 35 into an analog signal and control the gain of the variable gain amplifier 29 by the analog signal or to use a multiplying type D-A converter as the converter 28 and apply thereto an analog signal from the D-A converter 35. Thus, the prior art calls for two D-A converters and, in addition, involves the use of a variable gain amplifier and a multiplying type D-A converter as the converter 28. Hence the conventional optical interference gyro is expensive.